CarolPa----- a lot of people feel the way you do about online banking. And yes, it could get snagged sometime by a clever hacker.

But what about the wait staff at a restaurant that takes your credit card and goes out of sight with that card and it's numbers? (grin)

We never pay by credit card at a restaurant. I realize that anyone who has access to your credit card number could steal you identity if they were able to get the rest of the required information about you. But your bank account is not protected the same way as credit cards are. If someone uses your credit card number to make purchases, in most cases, you are not responsible. But if someone gets your bank info and wipes out your account you are SOL. At least that's what I've heard. We use our ATM card at the machine, mostly just at our bank. We never use it as a debit card to pay for things. We're very old fashioned about things like that.

We never pay by credit card at a restaurant. I realize that anyone who has access to your credit card number could steal you identity if they were able to get the rest of the required information about you. But your bank account is not protected the same way as credit cards are. If someone uses your credit card number to make purchases, in most cases, you are not responsible. But if someone gets your bank info and wipes out your account you are SOL. At least that's what I've heard. We use our ATM card at the machine, mostly just at our bank. We never use it as a debit card to pay for things. We're very old fashioned about things like that.

Yes and no, banks will often give you the money back in the bank account if your debit card is compromised, but it could take a bit. If you are a long standing customer with good credit, they will often put the money back immediately while investigating, like floating you a loan. If you are a new customer with shaky credit, you may have to wait with no money while they investigate.

Credit cards are safest after cash. Even if they steal your card number in a restaurant, there isn't anything on that card that can compromise your identity. That's why after this whole Target ordeal, I wasn't worried about identity theft. What happened there is that they had personal information on people who signed up for their Red Card and they didn't secure it properly, which was a problem.

Cash is safe, but often I'm not going to carry a bunch of cash. When traveling, especially out of the country, I use a credit card wherever I can, and have a bit of cash when I can't. NEVER DEBIT. You are smart to limit your use of debit.

Yes and no, banks will often give you the money back in the bank account if your debit card is compromised, but it could take a bit. If you are a long standing customer with good credit, they will often put the money back immediately while investigating, like floating you a loan. If you are a new customer with shaky credit, you may have to wait with no money while they investigate.

Credit cards are safest after cash. Even if they steal your card number in a restaurant, there isn't anything on that card that can compromise your identity. That's why after this whole Target ordeal, I wasn't worried about identity theft. What happened there is that they had personal information on people who signed up for their Red Card and they didn't secure it properly, which was a problem.

Cash is safe, but often I'm not going to carry a bunch of cash. When traveling, especially out of the country, I use a credit card wherever I can, and have a bit of cash when I can't. NEVER DEBIT. You are smart to limit your use of debit.

I think bakechef is correct but everyone should do it their way or people will blame ME or bakechef if something bad happens.

Once someone 'stole' my credit card info from my cell phone account and bought stuff but my credit card picked it up IMMEDIATELY and I got the money back in a few hours. The credit card picked that up even before I checked my account the next day.

I have a friend who still will not have mail delivered to his mail box at rural home because once someone stole his mail. He's used a P.O. box like---- forever----- and has to go to the post office to pick up his mail. He's happy doing that.

Last summer I went to help some friends who had locked their keys in their car. I was sitting at a stop sign, at the end of m road, waiting for traffic to clear, when a car zipped past on the lane closest to me. It threw a small stone that hit, and chipped my windshield. I took the car into an auto-glass repair shop, and they put their special glue in it. They said that it would keep the glass from cracking further.

Today, as I was driving along in a -5 degree F. morning, I heard a cracking noise. DW was sitting in the passenger seat and said; "What was that?" We both then noticed that the little chip had suddenly become a crack that spanned the width of the windshield. I guess I'm gonna have to got to my insurance agent on Monday. I heard on the radio that this winter has been the coldest since 1979. I'm getting tired of this subzero cold that has been with us for 2 months now. And I'm certainly not happy about my windshield.

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

__________________“No amount of success outside the home can compensate for failure within the home…"

I get email alerts for any activity over $100 on both my checking account and CC. I can set any dollar amounts for the alerts. I use cash most of the time.
I don't have a debit card as someone can wipe out your entire account in a single transaction.
I also like online banking as it is fast and convenient, I rarely have to visit the bank or use the phone. Same goes for managing non-banking accounts, such as retirement and brokerage.

Chief, had you turned on the defroster a little while previous to the cracking noise?

Yes I did. And when the crack happened, what you are thinking is exactly what I was thinking, even though I'd turned on the defroster many times previously, on very cold days.

and about that being flagged for activity greater than $100, I've recently heard on NPR radio that identity thieves are charging small items, no more than $8 plus change, hoping that the smaller amounts won't be noticed. So it's becoming more difficult to track credit card fraud. Just saying...

Seeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

__________________

__________________“No amount of success outside the home can compensate for failure within the home…"